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Athanase de Mezieres and the Louisiana-Texas Frontier - 1768-1789 (Notes)

ATHANASE DE MEZIERES and the LOUISIANA-TEXAS FRONTIER, I768-I789 Vol 1
Hubert Eugene Bolton, Kraus Reprint Co., N.Y., 1970
Pap., Proc. de cuba, leg. 188-1., No. 56
DeMexieres to Unzaga Y Amezaga - 21 Aug 1770
Three Indians from El Arkansas having appeared in the neighborhood of this
post without coming to it, they wounded a horse with a musket shot and stole
others belonging to various persons of this post, who are distrubed by it, as
is fitting so strange and extraordinary a deed.
As soon as I was notified, 0 ordered that men should mount on horseback,
and to the number of ifteen they very willingly set out to pursue these Indians.
But as the latter had six days the start, they were unable to overtake them,
and all that has been accomplished is to make certain, from the direction which
they took, that they are of the said Akansa tribe.
Nothing being so important as to respress such boldness at the outset, I
sent a messenger to the Akansa fort, which is distant from this one a hundred
and some leagues, with letters for its commander, begging him to call a
gathering of the Indians of his jurisdiction, ascertain the evildoers,
give them, in the presence of all, the reprimand which their boldness merits,
require them to pay for the animal which they wounded, and return wkiK those
which they have taken off.
This meesenger is accompanied by twelve Natchitoches Indians, bearing
his Majesty's banner and the calumet which they use on such occasions, it seeming
to me plain that, by making this embassy with all the solemnity possible,
these Indians of Akensa must restrain themselves in the future, and respect
as they ought the dominions of our new soverign.
The courier mentioned, who left 24 days ago, I am expecting soon, and I
shall have the honor to report to your Lordship what success may have resulted
from his journey.
Those 12 Natchitoches Indians have gone solely in the interest of the
public welfare, I merely agreed to five the courses, named Juan Brebel, twenty
pesos for his services, and I beg your Lordship to inform me if I may pay it
from the sale of confiscated goods, in virtue of the ordinance of this
superior government.....
Postscript 4 Sept 1770
M. de Blan having deferred his journey until today, I am enabled to report
to your Lordship that Juan Bautista Brevel, mentioned above, has just arrived
from Los Akancas, whence he brought the stolen animals, to the great satisfaction
of these citizens. This outcome we owe principally to the great pains and good
government of M. de Maseilliere, of the said place and fort of El Akansas....
p 180-182
IBID, p 160-162
15 May 1770 - same to same - It must be about 16 years ago, a little more or less,
that a person named Brindamur, whose sole employment was to roam the forests and
entertain himself in hunting—an occupation very conducive to laziness and to
all the other vices as well—carried off a woman, although with her consent, and
married though she was to an honorable person of Puntte Cupe named Albertto.
The latter soon died of grief caused him by the unexpected rashness of his wife,
thus leaving both of them free. Happy at the news, they came down from the river
of the Akensas, famous asylum of evil-doers whither they had fled, to the
fort of the same name, and there, as a reward, for their unchaste amours, they were
united in the most unhappy bonds of matrimony. They then returned at once to their
haunts, because the groom, who was of gigantic frame and extraordinary strength,
had made himself a petty king over those vagabonds and highwaymen, who, weith
contempt for law and subordination, with equal insult to Christians, and to the
shame of the very heathan, up to now have maintaine themselves on that river.
But, a short time after this new journey inland, it happened that one of his
subjects, not only Angered at the ill treatment which Brindamur gave him (which

ATHANASE DE MEZIERES and the LOUISIANA-TEXAS FRONTIER, I768-I789 Vol 1
Hubert Eugene Bolton, Kraus Reprint Co., N.Y., 1970
Pap., Proc. de cuba, leg. 188-1., No. 56
DeMexieres to Unzaga Y Amezaga - 21 Aug 1770
Three Indians from El Arkansas having appeared in the neighborhood of this
post without coming to it, they wounded a horse with a musket shot and stole
others belonging to various persons of this post, who are distrubed by it, as
is fitting so strange and extraordinary a deed.
As soon as I was notified, 0 ordered that men should mount on horseback,
and to the number of ifteen they very willingly set out to pursue these Indians.
But as the latter had six days the start, they were unable to overtake them,
and all that has been accomplished is to make certain, from the direction which
they took, that they are of the said Akansa tribe.
Nothing being so important as to respress such boldness at the outset, I
sent a messenger to the Akansa fort, which is distant from this one a hundred
and some leagues, with letters for its commander, begging him to call a
gathering of the Indians of his jurisdiction, ascertain the evildoers,
give them, in the presence of all, the reprimand which their boldness merits,
require them to pay for the animal which they wounded, and return wkiK those
which they have taken off.
This meesenger is accompanied by twelve Natchitoches Indians, bearing
his Majesty's banner and the calumet which they use on such occasions, it seeming
to me plain that, by making this embassy with all the solemnity possible,
these Indians of Akensa must restrain themselves in the future, and respect
as they ought the dominions of our new soverign.
The courier mentioned, who left 24 days ago, I am expecting soon, and I
shall have the honor to report to your Lordship what success may have resulted
from his journey.
Those 12 Natchitoches Indians have gone solely in the interest of the
public welfare, I merely agreed to five the courses, named Juan Brebel, twenty
pesos for his services, and I beg your Lordship to inform me if I may pay it
from the sale of confiscated goods, in virtue of the ordinance of this
superior government.....
Postscript 4 Sept 1770
M. de Blan having deferred his journey until today, I am enabled to report
to your Lordship that Juan Bautista Brevel, mentioned above, has just arrived
from Los Akancas, whence he brought the stolen animals, to the great satisfaction
of these citizens. This outcome we owe principally to the great pains and good
government of M. de Maseilliere, of the said place and fort of El Akansas....
p 180-182
IBID, p 160-162
15 May 1770 - same to same - It must be about 16 years ago, a little more or less,
that a person named Brindamur, whose sole employment was to roam the forests and
entertain himself in hunting—an occupation very conducive to laziness and to
all the other vices as well—carried off a woman, although with her consent, and
married though she was to an honorable person of Puntte Cupe named Albertto.
The latter soon died of grief caused him by the unexpected rashness of his wife,
thus leaving both of them free. Happy at the news, they came down from the river
of the Akensas, famous asylum of evil-doers whither they had fled, to the
fort of the same name, and there, as a reward, for their unchaste amours, they were
united in the most unhappy bonds of matrimony. They then returned at once to their
haunts, because the groom, who was of gigantic frame and extraordinary strength,
had made himself a petty king over those vagabonds and highwaymen, who, weith
contempt for law and subordination, with equal insult to Christians, and to the
shame of the very heathan, up to now have maintaine themselves on that river.
But, a short time after this new journey inland, it happened that one of his
subjects, not only Angered at the ill treatment which Brindamur gave him (which